A 74-year-old man appeared in court Thursday afternoon and pleaded not guilty after police say he shot a dog at a Mount Airy Forest dog park Tuesday.
Robert Marx, 74, was arraigned in a Hamilton County courtroom at 12:30 p.m. after he allegedly shot a pit bull mix in the back at the Doris Day Dog Park at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday with a Ruger 9mm semi automatic handgun. Marx said he shot the dog because it was attacking his own dog.
Kaitlyn Hornsby was the owner of the dog -- named Bruski -- that was shot, and said she was holding him at the park trying to remove him when Marx fired his gun. Hornsby alleges Marx laughed after he shot her dog.
"He tased my dog before he shot him and then he threatened to shoot him and I was like 'don't shoot my dog,' and before we had a chance to break them apart he shot him," Hornsby said.
Hornsby said the bullet traveled through Bruski’s body into his leg and the dog needed to be euthanized.
"Anybody standing there could've been shot because the way the bullet went into him it went into his back and basically all the way through his body into his front leg and that was right where I was standing," Hornsby said.
Marx's dog was not seriously injured, according to police.
Police say Marx and bystanders attempted to pull the dogs apart before Marx allegedly fired the gun.
"I was balling my eyes out and telling him I was calling the cops and [Marx] was laughing like 'call the cops, it's not a big deal at all. I'm not going to go to jail,'" Hornsby said.
Marx was carrying a concealed weapons permit at the time of the shooting. He is charged with criminal damaging and discharging a firearm in a public place.
Marx was ordered to wear an ankle bracelet and returned to court Thursday afternoon after obtaining an attorney.
The shooting remains under investigation.
9 On Your Side reporter Jay Warren contributed to this report.
Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Marx's age. We regret the error.
